Civics: Federalism

Quick Revision Notes: Class 10 Social Science (Civics)

Chapter: Federalism (संघवाद)

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1. What is Federalism? (संघवाद क्या है?)

• Definition: Federalism is a system of government in which the power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units (like states or provinces) of the country.
• Two Levels of Government (सरकार के दो स्तर):
  1. Union/Central Government: Responsible for subjects of national interest.
  2. State/Provincial Government: Responsible for subjects of daily administration and regional interest.

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2. Key Features of Federalism (संघवाद की मुख्य विशेषताएँ)

• Multiple Levels: There are two or more levels (tiers) of government.
• Jurisdiction (क्षेत्राधिकार): Different tiers of government govern the same citizens, but each tier has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation, and administration.
• Constitutional Guarantee: The existence and authority of each tier of government are constitutionally guaranteed.
• Rigid Constitution: The fundamental provisions of the constitution cannot be unilaterally changed by one level of government. Consent of both levels is required.
• Courts as Umpires: Courts have the power to interpret the constitution and the powers of different levels of government. The Supreme Court acts as an umpire in case of disputes.
• Dual Objectives: To safeguard and promote unity of the country, while simultaneously accommodating regional diversity.

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3. Types of Federal Systems (संघीय शासन व्यवस्था के प्रकार)

Feature	Coming Together Federation (साथ आकर संघ बनाना)	Holding Together Federation (साथ लेकर संघ बनाना)
Formation	Independent states come together on their own to form a bigger unit.	A large country decides to divide its power between the States and the National Government.
Power Sharing	States usually have equal power and are strong vis-à-vis the federal government.	Central government tends to be more powerful vis-à-vis the States.
Examples	USA, Switzerland, Australia	India, Spain, Belgium

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4. What makes India a Federal Country? (भारत को एक संघीय देश क्या बनाता है?)

India has all the features of a federation embedded in its Constitution. It has a three-tier system of government:

1. Union Government (केंद्र सरकार)
2. State Government (राज्य सरकार)
3. Local Government (स्थानीय सरकार - Panchayats and Municipalities)

Division of Powers (शक्तियों का विभाजन):

The Constitution provides a threefold distribution of legislative powers in the Three Lists (सूची) given in the Seventh Schedule:

• Union List (संघ सूची): Subjects of national importance (e.g., Defence, Foreign Affairs, Banking, Communications, Currency). Only the Central Government can make laws on these.
• State List (राज्य सूची): Subjects of state and local importance (e.g., Police, Trade, Commerce, Agriculture, Irrigation). Only State Governments can make laws on these.
• Concurrent List (समवर्ती सूची): Subjects of common interest to both the Union and State Governments (e.g., Education, Forest, Trade Unions, Marriage, Adoption). Both can make laws; in case of conflict, the Union law prevails.
• Residuary Subjects (अवशिष्ट विषय): Subjects that do not fall in any of the three lists (e.g., Computer software/IT). According to the Constitution, the Union Government has the power to legislate on these.

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5. How is Federalism Practiced? (संघवाद का अभ्यास कैसे होता है?)

Federalism succeeds in India not merely due to constitutional provisions, but because of the nature of democratic politics:

• Linguistic States (भाषाई राज्य): In 1947, the boundaries of several old states were changed to create new states based on languages (e.g., Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra). This ensured people speaking the same language lived in the same state, making the country more united and administered easily.
• Language Policy (भाषा नीति): The Indian Constitution did not declare any language as the National Language. Hindi is the official language, but 21 other languages are recognized as Scheduled Languages by the Constitution. States have their own official languages.
• Centre-State Relations (केंद्र-राज्य संबंध): Restructuring the Centre-State relations is one way federalism has been strengthened in practice. After 1990, the era of Coalition Governments (गठबंधन सरकारें) started, which led to a culture of power sharing and respect for state governments' autonomy by the Central government.

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6. Decentralization in India (भारत में विकेंद्रीकरण)

• Definition: When power is taken away from Central and State governments and given to local government, it is called Decentralization (विकेंद्रीकरण).
• Need for Local Government: A vast country like India cannot be run only from New Delhi and state capitals. There are a large number of problems and issues that are best settled at the local level.
• The Landmark Amendment of 1992 (संविधान संशोधन 1992):
  • The Constitution was amended to make the third-tier of democracy more powerful and effective.
  • Key Provisions:
    • Regular elections to local government bodies are constitutionally mandatory.
    • Seats are reserved in the elected bodies for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
    • At least one-third (33%) of all positions are reserved for women.
    • An independent institution called the State Election Commission was created in each state to conduct panchayat and municipal elections.
    • State governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies.

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7. Structure of Local Government (स्थानीय सरकार की संरचना)

• Rural Local Government (ग्रामीण स्थानीय सरकार) - Panchayati Raj:
  • Gram Panchayat: Village level (headed by a Sarpanch).
  • Panchayat Samiti / Block: Group of Gram Panchayats.
  • Zilla Parishad: District level (coordinates all panchayat samitis in the district).
• Urban Local Government (शहरी स्थानीय सरकार):
  • Municipalities (नगरपालिका): Formed in towns.
  • Municipal Corporations (नगर निगम): Formed in big cities (headed by a Mayor).

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Important Terms to Remember (महत्वपूर्ण शब्द)

• Federalism (संघवाद): Power sharing between central and state governments.
• Jurisdiction (क्षेत्राधिकार): The area over which someone has legal authority.
• Coalition Government (गठबंधन सरकार): A government formed by coming together of at least two political parties, usually when no single party gets a clear majority.
• Gram Sabha: A body comprising all adult voters in a village.